Thank you for the review and your helpful notes.I will go through the text and examine in the light of them. Yes, you are correct re mother and baby would have died, and the same might be said for Mac – if the snake had got him. This is discussed later in the novel (next chapter?) – once inside SLIP – which the reader has yet to gain a full appreciation – they are isolated from the effects of time. Re waters breaking and time to labour – it varies – for a first birth it may be up ten hours – subsequent births are usually shorter. The same goes for expulsion of placenta – varys.
Novel Treatments / Future Crime Chpt 4 (2/2)
“Have you decided on a time and place?” Jimmy asked.
“Yes. The centre of the Toralyne Forest.
“Never heard of it.”
“The Toralyne Forest covers over five hundred thousand acres. It is dedicated to the memory of the Toralyne party who perished establishing it during the Second Green War. It lies to the west of the Great Divide and straddles the Darling River below Wilcannia."
“And the time?”
“January, 2156.”
“And why?”
“You’ll find out,” Mac grinned.
“I don't think so Inspector. Another time, another place, a historical event, you mentioned a battle at Bannockburn?"
“So I did. No, I’ve changed my mind, too easy to recreate."
“Recreate!” Jimmy was amazed. “I’d like to try. Who do you think I am, Steven Spielberg?"
“Who is . . .?”
“Never mind.”
“Better somewhere obscure to test your machine. Somewhere you have never heard of. The Toralyne Forest. I've always wanted to go there." Mac smiled, folded his arms, and rocked back on his heels.
“I smell a rat, Inspector,” said Jimmy, “You’re up to something. Why that particular time and place?"
“Look, if you cannot transport me through time, then just say so. I can't say you've ruined any great expectations." Mac shrugged, turned, took a pace and leant against the wall.
Jimmy looked him up and down. The Inspector wasn't making it easy. He was up to something. Jimmy had half a mind to forget the whole idea and let him swill in his own ignorance. The disadvantage though, was having him still hanging around to meet Tommy's parents, which would complicate matters. “Do you have an exact location?”
“No, but if we land within a couple of miles I'll be satisfied.”
“Really. Inspector, as the Toralyne Forest at this time does not yet exist, referencing in a location may be difficult. An object is the most useful item when travelling to the past."
“Past?”
“Sorry, our personal past, Inspector? If we have something from a specific time and a place we can travel with greater accuracy, or certainty, perhaps, is a better word, especially where the past is concerned. I assume you don’t have such an object."
The Inspector stared at him fixedly for a few seconds. From a compartment on his chest he extracted a small vial of red liquid. The Inspector handed it to him. About three centimetres long with circuitry in its base, it reminded him of those old radio tubes. Jimmy ran the rosy liquid around the inside of the glass vessel. “What is it?”
“Its common name is light blood. Its proper scientific name is haemaphot metaviva. It has an active ingredient which is an extract from the seed kernel of a mature type of Red River Gum.
“Using the proper projector this substance can permeate the skin as light, temporarily assisting blood supply by creating oxygen bearing molecules in the blood and, because of its indicator properties, aiding diagnosis."
“Sounds like pretty incredible stuff," said Tommy.
“It is my lad. And the trees it comes from grow in the Toralyne forest."
Jimmy was sceptical. “You said this forest covered five hundred thousand acres. That's pretty broad. And the tree; I assume the seed was harvested from a mature tree. The other thing is; there may be more dominant constituents that might lead us astray. Its artificial reproduction in a lab, for example. I suppose it might be possible to trace down its discovery to the original seeds selected for analysis."
“Yes, I see what you mean. Is there some other way?” What was he saying? This was his prisoner. “You're running out of options."
“Could you identify it on a map, this place you insist on going to?”
“Undoubtedly.”
“Undoubtedly,” mimicked Tommy. “Does everyone talk like that in the twenty-fourth century? Sorta toffy, you know, like an old English movie?"
This gave Mac cause to smile again, being of Scottish descent. The prisoner seemed almost perfectly ingenuous, to the extent Mac decided to play along. "I suppose, my lad, there are countless trends and idioms that run through history, that repeat themselves time and time again, so that while things change, nothing really changes. If it wasn't so, you wouldn't even attempt to make me believe this is two thousand whatever?"
“I’ll see if I can find a map.” Tommy stood up. “There might be one in the wardrobe.”
Tommy rummaged around in the bottom of the wardrobe and eventually emerged clutching a half unfolded map of Australia. He dusted his hair and laid the map out on the bed. “There you go Inspector, point it out.”
“Let’s see. This is an old map, a very old map, even the contours of the continent have changed in some places. Haven't you got a more recent one?"
“No, sorry, only up to date I’m afraid.”
Mac looked at the map. Scale doesn’t help. If can get within, say twenty miles at the outside, that’ll be good enough. What am I talking about? This is just a game, and pretty soon it will be over. When the parents came home with a vehicle, they were gone, all of them. “Let’s see." With his fingernail he drew a line south from Wilcannia and then west between the border and the Darling. He stopped. “There, that's about it. Close as I can judge."
Jimmy reached over as the Inspector removed his finger, and marked the spot with a ball-point.
"That's a forest?" asked Tommy, as alongside where Mac’s finger rested, in the yellow, was the outlined arc of the word `Desert'.
The boy's feyness was irritating. “Of course, if you bothered to have a modern map you would see,” snapped Mac.
“Now, now," said Jimmy, taking up the map. “Very soon we'll all see the truth of the matter. If there is such a thing.” He laughed, took a step sideways and as he touched the glass of SLIP1 it parted.
Mac jumped to his feet and grabbed him by the shoulder. “I don't want you going anywhere near that device.”
Jimmy sighed. “Don’t you want to go to this place? I just want to correlate the location setting in SLIP1's processor. I'm not going anywhere."
“Not without me at any rate.”
“Okay, stand on the other end, okay. That make you happy?"
Matching foot placements Mac joined Jimmy at the opposite end of the beta device platform. Jimmy was looking down into a display as from time to time a flash of green light passed across eyes and cheek. Mac kept his eyes on him for any fast moves, but the boy’s hands were obscured. Besides which, he had not seen hide nor hair of a control panel anyway. The display in front of him rapidly flashed with constantly changing fan-like patterns, replaced by others which in turn disappeared before he could fix the shape of anything. There were no visible buttons or knobs or touch sensitive pads to suggest it was anything other than a dumb terminal.
Jimmy looked up at him. “Well Inspector, the location you indicated is indeed the future site of the Toralyne forest. About ten miles from the exact centre.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I always am a little. SLIP is continually interpreting all knowledge from infinite masses of information available, all existence. We direct its attention to understanding the meanings of particular areas of space and matter. You see Inspector, SLIP, to a certain extent, is not under my control. I have given it broad, very broad parameters on the information it is to collect. SLIP has access to all information in the universe at once. We select filters so the knowledge that comes through is comprehensible to us. And SLIP.” He smiled at the grim, dark-eyed, stubbled visage of the detective.
Mac smiled back. “Okay, let's go. Or are we going to play pretend all afternoon? You can travel through time - let's see it.”
“In a minute, Inspector, patience. While I prepare, a warning. You must remember who is captain of this ship. When we are travelling I am in command. You will do nothing that might jeopardise our passage. You will not interfere with any equipment. Do you understand? If you do, it could quite possibly mean death, if not for me, then most certainly for you."
“Are you threatening me?”
“No Inspector, just reinforcing my warning, but you will understand. There have been enough words spoken, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. We go. You'll have to stay behind this time, Tommy." He winked.
Mac looked above and around him. He was looking across at Tommy sitting on the chequered bedspread, but he was blurry. Mac rubbed his eyes - could see Jimmy down the other end all right. They were being enclosed.
Mac was having the strangest sensations. He was standing, but rotating all over the place at once. He clutched the round, clear-topped pedestal in front of him for stability and looked at Jimmy who was grinning madly back at him. “What’s happening?”
Jimmy turned his head to the side and cupped his hand around his ear. Mac could hear nothing but a humming noise seemingly deep and a long way off. Jimmy pointing to the glass, was mouthing words at him. Through the glass all Mac could see were streaks of light and colour penetrating the blackness. For his stomach’s sake he wished Jimmy would stop the thing swinging about. He looked at Jimmy again, ignoring the horror of the whirling outside. Jimmy was pressing his hand against the glass and indicating he should do likewise. Mac struggled to lift his arm, anxious he might lose his grip on the pedestal and fall. His head was spinning. He closed his eyes, stretched out his hand and touched the glass.
. “Inspector, I’m sorry. You're not handling it too well, are you? You must focus yourself relative to me and the inside of SLIP1. Stand up straight. Come on!"
Stand up straight, Mac repeated to himself, and pushed slowly upright from the pedestal, all the while keeping his eyes pinned on Jimmy's face. Jimmy was saying something. He released a hand and placed it on the glass.
“Good on you, Inspector. Pretty good for a first time. You'll get used to it. We're here."
At that moment the exterior gyrations of colour subsided and a more fluent wavelike movement ensued, the background became lighter and the colours like billowing ribbons. Through the diminishing bleeding blur of colour, redness filled his vision and he was almost blinded by the brightness. Mac peeked through his fingers as the exterior resolved, focussing his watering eyes on the surface of a red gibber desert under a blistering noon sun. The intense light danced about inside the glass of SLIP1 like jagged spears of lightning.
“Where’s here?” He was still suspicious to the bone.
“Where you wanted to go. Do I have to repeat it?"
The glass melted away and they stepped out on to the barren desert earth. Mac bent over and scraped up a handful of red dust, and let it spill from his hand. “You’re a remarkable young man Jimmy, very clever. You knew the forest would have to be desert. You've read me very well, so far."
“What’re you talking about?” Jimmy spun around shaking his head. He confronted the poker-faced detective. “You still don't believe do you? You still don't accept time travel do you?"
“Not yet.” Mac answered. “Not until we find what I'm looking for.”
“What is it? I must know before we continue. Remember I am captain, Inspector."
"Oh yes, you are captain, but we are not yet, captain, at the destination of my seeking. You said within ten miles of the centre. The centre is where we must head. Only then will I be convinced of the authenticity of this device.” Mac consulted a compass projected on his retina. “It is due north of here. Let's go.” He walked away into the desert.
“Inspector, wait!"
Mac half turned, but kept walking, expecting a new demand.
“We don't have to walk, you know. Remember the dimension cycling I told you about? “Jimmy tried to eliminate any smugness there might have been in his voice.
Mac bowed his head, walked back and mounted the platform without a word. He looked stony-faced at Jimmy. “Please proceed, Captain.”
Mac found it an eerie feeling gliding over the almost featureless red desert floor, exposed on all sides and with the great vast expanse of bleached sky as far as the eye could see. Startled lizards scurried from underneath them across the gravel to find a new shadow abode. Nothing was spared the onslaught of the radiation. He felt its teeth biting into the skin of his face and hands. The effect was immediately harmful and burned deep.
“We’ll have to protect ourselves somehow. Especially you,” said Mac to Jimmy who was concentrating on directing the passage of SLIP1.
“The crystal protects us from ultra violet. But the limited range of cycling doesn’t help with the infra red radiation. We didn’t consider we’d need polarisation or air-con when we built it. I hope this little tour isn't going to take long.”
“I hope so too.”
Ten minutes or more passed in silence while both surveyed the endlessly flat, shimmering red expanse around them.
“We should look for diggings, like a mine, piles of earth,” Mac advised.
“Ah, a mine, buried treasure beckons, eh Inspector?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Why would I want riches?"
Jimmy remembered the value of treasure in the Inspector’s time.
“I suppose not.” Jimmy scanned the pitiless horizon. “I find it hard to believe anyone could survive out here for very long.”
“Keep a sharp eye out. We must come across it soon."
“Don’t worry I want to get out of here as quickly as I can. What a god-forsaken place to bring me."
Another five minutes passed, and Jimmy was soaked with sweat. His eyes were aching from the glare, and he was wishing he'd brought his Polaroids when about three hundred metres to the East he saw something white sticking up out of the ground, like a post. He squinted at the object as he changed the direction of the craft almost ninety degrees toward it. Mac was thrown against the glass.
“Shit! What’re you doing?"
“See over there, in front of us now, those mounds round that post, or is it a dead tree?” asked Jimmy.
Mac only had to look once. “That’s it.” He jumped on the spot. “You've found it. Ha ha! Thank you!"
“Thank SLIP."
“Thank you, yes, thank you.” Mac kissed the glass. “I only hope we're not too late."
“Too late for what?” Jimmy looked down and adjusted his shoulders. The sweat running into his eyes made them sting. His whole body felt like it was quaking internally with the heat. “You really worry me.”
Alongside SLIP1 were two large mounds of ruddy earth and stone. Sticking out of them at odd angles were white splintered, broken pipes resembling bones protruding through muscle.
“Nothing to worry about Jimmy. Set us down."
Jimmy reduced the period of dimension swapping and they sank to the ground. Mac jumped off as soon as the glass retreated and ran out of sight between the two mounds. Jimmy wiped the sweat from his brow, and eyes. His throat was raw from the super-heated air. He stumbled off the platform and followed Mac. Jimmy rounded the mound and found a gentler slope to the pit. Two or three sections of broken pipe held back the spread of the excavated gravel and formed a shallow shelf, under which the Inspector was crouched, waving him to come over.
“Good grief! What's she doing here?” Jimmy noticed the bulging abdomen. “She's pregnant! Oh my God! Who’s she?"
Mac diverted his attention from the woman and looked at him. “This is Dr Wiseman, that’s her husband down there.”
Jimmy peered into the shaft beside him. It took a second for his eyes to adjust. About ten metres down there was a body spread-eagle at the bottom looking up with a death grimace. “Jesus!”
Jimmy saw the Inspector was trying to sit the woman up and went to help him. “Is she going to be okay?” The woman's head rolled about and Jimmy found himself cupping the back of it in his hand. The hair was almost solid with dried mud.
“I don’t know. She was important for that.” He pointed to the North.
Jimmy squinted and tried to see into the desert, but his vision blurred. “You’ll have to tell me. I'm having trouble seeing."
“The beginnings of the Toralyne forest.”
“Ah yes, and you believe now time travel is possible?"
“I do, one way at least,” smiled Mac slyly.
“Yes,” Jimmy read his expression, “you put one over on me didn't you, Inspector? You knew that if I knew there was a human being from another time involved, I would have had no part of it. You must be intelligent enough to understand the possible consequences. What do you think we're going to do now?"
Mac snorted. “There are as many permutations of consequences as there are futures. It's the luck of the draw. We can't leave her here. She's alive,” Mac held up his forearm and consulted the analytic display, “an indications are so is the baby. I've given her a mild relaxant. Her waters have broken, probably a few hours ago - burst her suit."
“You mean to say she's having the baby now?”
“Very shortly, but not here. Let's go. "
“Go where?”
“I’d say that's up to you, captain. You know where I'd like to go.” Mac slipped his arms beneath her and struggled to his feet.
“I know a place,” Jimmy smiled.
“Where?” Mac grunted, hefting her up his chest to adjust the weight in his arms.
“Now it's my turn for secrets, Inspector."
They propped her up in the middle cargo space and mounted the platform.
“I don't care, so long as it's somewhere she can give birth. And we get there quickly."
The dome closed about them and Mac closed his eyes. He found it quite impossible to look at the exterior pyrotechnics for any length of time.
“Nearly there. Here,” said Jimmy and laughed as Mac opened his eyes after what was no more than an extended blink.
They were, somewhere? Mac watched the surroundings gradually materialising outside the crystal. It was dark, almost black, but for a ray of light from what he thought was the moon beaming down through a hole in a roof. The roof of what appeared to be a large factory, but he couldn't tell how large because of the darkness. The crystal dome shrank back and they stepped off the platform together. Underfoot felt firm, but pliant, like thick rubber tiles.
“Over there,” Jimmy pointed, “come on.”
Mac scooped Dr Wiseman into his arms. Around them the internals of a building began to materialise from the darkness. The interior design was utterly odd and he compared the effect with being inside a mound of black spaghetti. A woven nest of flat black tendrils with whorls in the surface of the almost walls opened to other compartments. Larger openings were passages out of the cavernous chamber. Almost right away they came to a large alcove fitted out as a type of medical room. He went to put her down on one of the beds, but Jimmy stopped him.
“The examination table.”
Mac complied. Dr Wiseman was still unconscious. Jimmy flicked a switch on the edge of the table and a slim keyboard and screen slid out. Smiling, he beckoned Mac over and pointed at the display. An ultrasound section of the prone form revealed the mother's and baby’s hearts beating. The mother was seriously dehydrated.
“All vital signs are good Inspector, but the baby needs to be delivered now. Do you have a non-harmful complementary stimulant to bring these two around? I don't fancy a Caesarean section, do you?"
“The relaxant I gave her will wear off very shortly. I think we should wait."
“How long is shortly, Inspector?”
As Jimmy uttered the words he saw out the corner of his eye the form on the table move and the next second she groaned.
“Why did I ever doubt you?”
“I don't have any idea.”
Lorraine opened her eyes and closed them, then raised her hand to shield them from the high intensity light bouncing off the conical mirror hood and lens above the table. Jimmy noticed this and tilted it away. She closed her eyes tightly.
“Euhhh . . . Where am I?”
“You’re safe now. My name is Jimmy and this is, ah, the Inspector. It was his idea to save you."
Mac looked at Jimmy helplessly, the prospect of explaining what occurred up to this point presently beyond him. She arched her neck and mouth wide and gulped lungfuls of air.
“Never mind about that right now,” said Jimmy. “Right now we have to deliver your baby. Your waters have broken. If I know anything about it at all you are in labour."
“Don’t you think we should get her suit off?”
“Bloody good idea, Inspector. How?” Jimmy had been looking for a zipper or fastening device since they brought her in.
Lorraine reached inside a small flap on the side of her waist. There was a hissing sound as the vacuum seals released and the suit came away in parts. Jimmy and Mac lifted away the five frontal pieces of the enthrosuit. Predictably she was naked underneath this second skin, but not a pretty sight. The dead white top layer of skin was dimpled from long term exposure to moisture and mottled yellow like old cheese with the texture of tripe. In places the skin was deep brown and purple, the result of former contusions. She screamed and they jumped.
“It’s looks worse than it is. Your skin will recover.” Jimmy moved around the end of the table and adjusted the light where needed. An unpleasant stench evaporating from her skin came and stayed without comment.
“Water,” Lorraine lifted her head, “water, please.”
“What you really need is a rehydration solution,” said Mac.
“What’s that consist of?” asked Jimmy.
“Oh, add about five mil of salt and forty sugar to a litre.”
A glass of liquid appeared on the table beside him. Mac stepped back.
"Where’d that come from?”
Only SLIP knows.” Jimmy grinned.
Mac held her hand and a glass to her lips. Unable to curl her lips most of the water spilled down her neck. Although he had the training, and if it were known the practice, and knew it should be him doing the delivering, he was copping out this time. Jimmy seemed to know what he was doing. I’ll be there, just in case.
Jimmy was monitoring Doctor Wiseman’s contractions and the position of the baby through the table’s diagnostic displays. Confirming the increased frequency of her contractions as indicated, her groans and grunts were coming closer together. The cervix was fully dilated, as far as he could tell.
"What’s her name Inspector?” He raised his voice above her groans.
“Doctor . . .”
“Her first name?” Jimmy said sharply, realising right away he was getting edgy.
“Lorraine."
“Lorraine, this is Jimmy. Everything's going to be all right. The baby's in a good position, and the Inspector and I are right with you.” Looking at the muscle contractions, he anticipated the desired point of effort, and encouraged her. “You can do it, Lorraine." Lorraine cried so loud every hair on his body stood on end.
Lorraine grunted again. Mac, whose hand was steadily being crushed, joined in. “Come on Lorraine. You can do it!"
Jimmy looked up between her thighs. Repelled, but at the same time fascinated, he saw in the centre of the wet morass a flat purplish shape. It had to be the baby's crown. Lorraine clutched the edges of the table so determinedly, and pushed so hard, the veins and tendons in her neck stood out like thick taut ropes. Jimmy slung his arms around her knees to give her something to push against.
“I can see the top of the head!” he yelled loudly and excitedly, so she would hear and be encouraged. The opening kept expanding and he was afraid she would tear. Lorraine groaned and screamed blue murder. “Come on Lorraine, nearly there,” he looked at the screen following the course of the baby, “nearly there!”
“Uh,uh, uh . . .uhuh uhHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAA!” Her shins pressed against his ribcage, he saw the infants head slowly pop out. Lorraine sucked air in quick bursts. “That’s it, that's it. Come on, here it comes!” He dropped his arms inside her thighs and took hold of the baby carefully under the jaw, and eased out first one shoulder, then the other. The rest of the body followed. The baby was so small, slippery and smeared with the trappings of embryonic life. At first the condition of the skin matched closely that of the mother, but with every new breath it turned a pinker hue. It shuddered several times, and began to cry. “It’s a girl Lorraine. Inspector, I need some help."
Lorraine’s head flopped to the side and she moaned deeply.
A shiver ran up Mac's spine. He walked to the end of the table and Jimmy with bloody hands gave him the tiny, red, crying bundle.
“The embryonic cord has stopped pulsating.” Mac wiped some mucus away from the baby’s mouth. “So now it’s okay to cut,” he told Jimmy.
“Okay, Inspector. You know the procedure?” Jimmy looked up.
“Tie off about fifteen centimetre from the baby, and about another ten centimetres along. Then cut in between,” said Mac.
SLIP immediately provided the sterilised string and Jimmy made the necessary ties. Mac saw Jimmy take a long silver conical tool with an eyepiece from the edge of the table.
In answer to a questing look from the Inspector, he replied. “Laser scalpel.”
Jimmy moved the instrument between the two ties severing the link between mother and child.
“Give her to me,” said Lorraine. Mac bent over and placed the bawling, kicking crimson-faced little girl in her mother’s arms without bothering to conceal his pleasure. “Oh you are beautiful, you are wonderful, oh. . .” She cuddled the baby to her and ran her hand gently over it's skull.
Mac went and plumped down on the edge of a bed, falling back and throwing his arms out in relief, and disbelief. Jimmy smiled, glad it was over, but there was the placenta and then the clean up to come. Tommy was not going to believe this. There was the question now; what to do with these people, and he knew there were only two possible answers.
Lorraine felt a dull, painful pressure followed by a series of sharp spasms, “Help me . . . help. I feel something. Help me."
“That was quick. It's the afterbirth. You have to eject it. Don't worry I'll help. It's all nearly over.” She was crying along with the baby, as strained and punished muscles were called into action. Once more Jimmy applied himself to the task and assisted with the extraction of the corpuscular mass.
“There you go,” he said blithely, while shivering at the feel and sight of the placenta. He looked about and at his thought SLIP provided a convenient disposal chute. He pulled down a water spray and cleaned her down. There was a cotton absorbent swab dispenser in the side of the table and he used them liberally to soak up the ongoing discharge of liquid. He knew she was exhausted, and needed rest first and foremost. All over. The table would monitor her signs and warn him if her condition deteriorated. He threw a blanket over them for the moment, and sat down on the bed near the Inspector. The whole front of his clothing was smeared with blood.
Mac sat up, looked at the state of Jimmy and lay back down. They were both lost for words.
© Brian Armour 2009
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FrakKevin reviewed Version 1 -
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Toralyne Forest.-add a quotation at the end of this sentence.
“Thank SLIP.”-thanks
Only SLIP knows.”-add a quotation at the start of this sentence.
This is completely different from the intro I read and made me want go back to catch up. I dont want anybody to bash your birth scene, because it was pretty realistic, you seemed to do your research. I was a little lost at times because I didnt really know who was captian or inspector. Plus I kept forgetting both Tommy and Jimmy were with Mac. One seemed to fade away at points. I like the cliffhanger, why did Mac pick this location?
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Matthewtuckey reviewed Version 1 -
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“Rotating all over the place”: This is a crucial part of Mac’s story- he is about to experience what he has, so far, denied. So I’d make this description a lot clearer.
“ensued, the background”- run on because you already have “and” in the sentence. I’m pretty sure.
“worry I want”- worry. I want…
“Jesus!”- New para for this I think.
Her waters broke a few hours ago, but she’s not screaming in the throes of labour?
“Utterly odd”- this is what we, the reader, should think without you telling us. If you describe how it looks, feels, smells- we’ll know that. Also, I’m not sure if “odd” is a strong enough adjective to warrant “utterly” before it.
During pregnancy, doesn’t the fetus’s body behave much like the mother’s? If the mother is dehydrated, I’d expect the baby to be too. Certainly smoking when pregnant, for instance, harms the fetus.
I doubt Lorraine could have sorted that flap out while in labour.
“Although he had the training”- this sentence is confusing- what’s being told here?
“infants”- infant’s
“Oh, you are beautiful”- there’s three people in this scene. Who says which part? I’d start a new para with “Mac bent over”.
“It’s skull”- her skull. The baby’s a girl, and is an actual character in the story.
So in the future, there are a few new tools for childbirth but it’s still painful for the mother? I think that could be true, but if I were Mac I’d probably be uncomfortable seeing a woman in pain, and wondering why, this far in the future, women still feel this pain.
The two story strands have tied together. I’m now wondering: if they hadn’t travelled through time, the mother and baby would have died. They have altered the course of the future, which could turn bad- even though by doing this they have saved two lives.
NormaLizeth reviewed Version 1 -
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I want to read the previous chapters. Since I am somewhat confused about the use of the time machine and why the Inspector is there first of all. And I mean his connection to the pregnant lady. I don’t know if it’s just my point of view but the dialog involves too many explenations. why do they need something from that time to get to that time? what is the ‘light blood’s’ use on the story so that you have to explain it so throughly? I feel as if Jimmy is going too easy on Mac though he claims he is his prisioner. What did Mac do in the first place to get in trouble? Also I get confused when you change from Mac to Inspector. There was a time in the beginning when I thought it was three of them coversing.
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